Karim Benzema stopped Real Madrid’s underwhelming La Liga season going from bad to worse on Sunday after firing a last-minute winner to hand the European champions a barely-deserved 3-2 winner over bottom club Huesca.
Humbled by Ajax in the Champions League and dumped out ofthe Copa Del Rey by deadly rivals Barca, third-placed Real showed little signsof improvement in Zinedine Zidane’s second game in charge but Benzema, subjectto rumours he may leave Madrid in the summer for Manchester United, struck witha fine curling finish the to snatch the three points at a sparsely populatedSantiago Bernabeu.
“We are happy with him and I am going to count on him, nowthere are nine games left and then we will see what happens. He is a RealMadrid player and I don’t think this will change,” Zidane said.
“You have to acceptit. If the people want to come to the Bernabeu to see us so much the better,but I understand that since we are not going to win anything fewer peoplecome.” Real move to within two points of second-placed Atletico Madrid, whohammered Champions League hopefuls Alaves 4-0 on Saturday in a match that sawDiego Costa score for the first time since November.
However, Real still lag 12 points behind leaders Barcelona,who are 10 clear of Atletico and heavy favourites to retain their La Liga afterLionel Messi fired them to their sixth league win on the bounce, 2-0 at home tolocal rivals Espanyol on Saturday, with a brace that took the Argentine to 31league goals this season.
Zidane’s son Luca was given his second ever start betweenthe sticks for Real but got off to the worst possible start, picking the ballout of his own net within three minutes after Cucho Hernandez lashed homeEzequiel Avila low cross.
Isco levelled the scores in the 25th minute when he tappedhome a Brahim Diaz cross after Benzema’s low shot was well saved, but it wasthe away side – playing their first ever La Liga game at the Madrid’s SantiagoBernabeu stadium – who went closer going into the break ahead.
Zidane junior had to be alert to stop Damian Musto fromglancing home a header nine minutes before the break, while Avila punched theground in frustration in first half stoppage time after flashing a power shotover from the edge of the box.
Real continued to disappoint in the second half but took thelead just after the hour mark thanks to Dani Ceballos, who bundled home thesecond after Gareth Bale’s beautiful cross was headed back across goal byBenzema.
Bale then missed a glorious opportunity to put the gamebeyond Huesca when he somehow put Alvaro Odriozola’s low cross over the barfrom just yards out.
Huesca pounced on that awful miss to draw level when XabierEtxeita powered home Moi Gomez’s cross from a short corner.
However, Benzema was on hand to break Huesca hearts with his14th league goal of the season, which gives Zidane two wins from his first twomatches back in charge.
Earlier Valencia maintained their hopes of a place in nextseason’s Champions League after Daniel Parejo’s penalty on the stroke ofhalf-time gave them a vital 1-0 victory at Sevilla.
Parejo’s spot-kick, which came after Ever Banega broughtdown Jose Gaya, extended Valencia’s unbeaten run to nine matches and moves themup to sixth, level on 43 points with Sevilla and just three back from the finalChampions League spot.
That place is occupied by Getafe, who fell 2-0 at home tomid-table Leganes on Saturday and have to play the league’s top three andSevilla in their final nine games.
Despite a slightly simpler league fixture list Marcelino’sValencia however have an all-Spanish Europa League quarter-final tie withVillarreal to contend with, as well as the Copa Del Rey final against Barcelonabetween now and the end of the season.